An unidentified man drove a pickup truck onto a popular bike path in lower Manhattan, leaving at least eight people dead and injuring many more. The suspect also rammed the vehicle into a school bus before exiting the truck. He was carrying a pellet gun and a paintball gun, and waving them about. He was shot and detained at the scene, according to the NYPD.

One witness described what he saw to DNA Info: "I saw a white pickup going down the bike lane running people over. The guy was driving, hitting people, four or five blocks. It looks it was intentional. Who drives down a bike path?"

At a press conference, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters, "Based on information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians."

Witnesses have told police and reporters that the man may have yelled "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for "God is great") when he got out of the truck and started running. The FBI has taken over the investigation, which they are now treating as a terrorist attack.

The suspect, described by police as 29 years old, is now at a nearby hospital receiving treatment for gunshot wounds. The situation is considered under control, though the investigation is just beginning.

The attack, which occurred around 3 p.m. ET, appears similar to recentincidents in severalEuropeancities. Several months ago, a man drove his car through a crowd of pedestrians in Midtown Manhattan, but the two events do not appear to be connected.